Culture
Canada is a country with dual nationality, deriving from the British conquest of the French colony in 1760. The French community has firmly held onto its cultural identity, creating two distinct cultures. Canada's official languages are both English and French, and a majority of Canadian are either Catholic or Protestant. Some special, Canada-specific national holidays include Victoria Day on the last Monday before May 25, celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday; Canada Day on July 1, celebrating Independence; and Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October, a day to give thanks and spend the evening with family and friends. Canadian families are becoming more nuclear over time, but its regional differences still provide for rural and urban clusters. As in anywhere else in the world, gender biases are slowly decreasing. Children attend schooling until they reach sixteen years of age, and while parents are permitted to use physical means to discipline a child, which can include spanking, the use of an implement or striking a child in anger or retaliation is not considered reasonable under Canadian law. Canada has a rich farming and agricultural heritage, with most families traditionally having three meals a day. Popular foods include Poutine, consisting of french fries, cheese and brown gravy, and peameal bacon, which is brined and rolled in cornmeal. The Canadian government funds art galleries in most provinces, and Canada has theaters across the country. Canada's national sport is Hockey, a game played on ice with sticks, pucks and goals.
